OF WRITERLY THINGS

Hey, how hard can it be? It's brain surgery. It's not like you're writing a novel.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Dear Visitors,

Truthfully, I don't know the future of my blog. Of Writerly Things was fun in its day, but blogging, in general, seems to have fallen out of favor, and mine certainly has fallen out of favor with me since I quit posting on a regular basis.

For now, please visit my website at ValerieIpson.com

It still needs work, so check back often. (I may start blogging a bit over there, who knows)...

~or on a grander scale, how you can help make the world a better place...

THIS BOOK PROVIDES INSIGHTS FOR ALL OF THEM

"How Did I Get Where I Am, and How Do I Get Where I Want to Be?"This is the subtitle to Taylor's book, Choices and Illusions, and it's what first caught my attention. I think most of us are trying to find the answers to these questions as we consider our goals and dreams and what it will take to accomplish them. (See, perfect for January and the start of a new year!) Keep hacking away at those goals or consider there might be a better way by understanding how the mind works and how we're influenced by what we see and hear around us. This book is packed with studies and stories that will help you sort through and break down barriers to success.

Announcing the audio release of Choices and Illusions! Also available in print and ebook:

Friday, October 21, 2016

New review for Ideal High...

Ideal High, a YA novel, by Valerie Ipson. Book review by Pam Eaton.

“There’s no way Taryn’s taking Blake’s place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of their friends is over, she’s resigning as VP. Really. Except people say the fire was no accident. (She says it’s way too easy to blame someone who’s dead.) When Taryn reads the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, she knows what it means. To get to the truth she has to come out from under her paisley comforter. But, seriously, what stage of grief says Taryn has to be the one to fix what’s wrong at Ideal High? Maybe she’s the one who’s broken.”

Wow. The start of the book is at the memorial for the six friends of Taryn. And that in it’s self has a big impact. I was lucky enough that no one died while I was in high school. I can’t image if six of my friends died in a fire.

I really enjoyed this book though. I liked how Valerie Ipson took a character that faced a horrible tragedy and perseveres. What the summary of this book doesn’t mention is that bullying is a big factor in the story. And that struck a chord with me. I wasn’t really bullied a lot in school, but there were two instances in my life that stick with me from it. When I was in high school, a bunch of girls decided to mash my car windows in and slash my tires. Along with sending me very mean texts. This was all over because I talked to a guy one of the girls was dating. That’s all. But the escalation of it, to this day surprises me. I loved how Ipson tackled this problem in the book, how she took her main character that had an idea for her school and acted on it with the help of others. The story really drew me in and was well written. I really recommend reading Ideal High. Even though it’s YA, I think parents should read it too. We were given a copy of Ideal High in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

This is the subject of my current Work In Progress, fondly referred to as my WIP.

It reminds me a little of 'Rest in Peace' with a speech impediment: 'West in Peace, you siwwy wabbit'. But no, this book is not dying a death...it's actually being taken off life support and taking breaths again on its own.

Because I'm working on stuff like plot structure and character motive and death stakes. Yes, my sweet, little, flawed character, Pearl, just might have to face some *death stakes.

That's what can happen when you find a

Purple Heart and decide you need to

return it to its owner.

That is all.

*don't be scared, it might not be physical death at all, it very possibly

I also blog at these "spots"

CURRENTLY READING:

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt (for book club)

Half the Skyby Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn

The Book of Mormonby various authors

Out of the mouths of writerly people

"Once the disease of reading has laid hold upon the system it weakens it so that it falls an easy prey to that other scourge which dwells in the inkpot and festers in the quill. The wretch takes to writing." --Virginia Woolf

"...it's easy after all not to be a writer. Most people aren't writers and very little harm comes to them." --Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot